DPSG parents miffed with panel examining fee hike

Parents said they were upset as the panel members asked why they refused to pay the hiked fee despite the court order

The parents alleged that while the school allowed students of classes 9-12, whose parents did not pay the hiked fee, to write their exams, they didn’t make a similar exception for students of classes 1-8.(HT FILE)

Parents of children studying at Delhi Public School Ghaziabad in Palam Vihar have voiced their displeasure, as the committee formed to look into the fee hike issue has asked them to explain why they didn’t pay the increased fee even after a court order. The parents met the committee members on Friday.

The committee, headed by G Anupama, the divisional commissioner of Faridabad, also met the school’s principal and heard both sides. The school,the parents alleged, did not allow around 225 students to give their final school exams as their parents did not pay the hiked fee.

The parents alleged that while the school allowed students of classes 9-12, whose parents did not pay the hiked fee, to write their exams, they didn’t make a similar exception for students of classes 1-8. The school had sent a report to the district education office last month mentioning that it had issued notices to 315 parents throughout the last academic session.

Of the 315 parents, 90 paid the hiked fee, while the remaining 225 did not, the report mentioned. However, it did not say how many students were allowed to sit for their exams.

The parents said that the committee was formed last December to probe if the fee hike was fair. They said they were taken aback by the conduct of the panel members during the meeting on Friday.

“ We were asked why we did not pay the (hiked) fee? The parents who could afford to pay the hiked fee have already paid, while the ones who can’t haven’t. I can’t understand why the committee members are questioning us. The school struck off my daughter’s name as I moved court over the fee hike issue,” Dev Kumar, one of the affected parents, said.

Ajay Yadav, whose son studies in Class 3, said, “My son was not allowed to appear for his final exam. We tried to get in touch with the principal, but she refused to meet us. The school has taken a drastic step and now, we are unsure about the future of our children.”

Ajay Chauhan, whose daughter is studying in Class 4, said, “I have worried about my daughter’s future. I don’t know where to go and what to do.”

Deepika Sharma, principal, DPSG, said, “We have submitted the documents (sought by the panel) and some more will be submitted in a week. We have been sending text messages, WhatsApp alerts and emails to parents since April, but they are yet to pay the hiked fee. Even the Punjab and Haryana high court, on December 15, asked the parents to pay the fees, but despite dozens of reminders, they haven’t complied with the order. While some parents have cleared their dues, we can’t continue with the students whose parents have refused to pay.”

“We did not stop defaulting students of classes 9-12 from taking their exams. The defaulting kindergarten students did not have any exams,” Sharma said.

Sharma also met the committee members including Anupama, the district elementary education officer, a chartered accountant and an educationist from the district on the fee issue.